Washing machine agitator



May 23, 1939. R. w. .JANDA 2,159,271

WASHING MAUHINE AGITATQR Filed Dec. 18, 1937 Z4/VENUE /PwoLP/f W. JAMA v "Patented May 23, 1939 E i fil" WASHING MA AGITATOR Rudolph W. Jandia, Berwyn, lill., assignor to Fairbanks, Morse & Co., iiihcago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application necesitar is, rtsi, sensi No. 180,515

This invention relates to washing machines and more particularly to improvements in agitatorsl used in connection tl'ierewith.V

Washing machine agitators of 'conventional design have radially extendingblades or vanes which are adapted to be oscillated about a vertical axis. In most instances these vanes, or at least the major portions thereof, are disposed near the bottom of the tub or receptacle in which they l0 operate, and they exert their greatest influence on the lower stratum of water in the tub, this having the intended result of creating a socalled secondary current, caused by the centrifugal forces set up on the tubs contents by the oscillating vanes. The centrifugal action is such as to cause the lower' stratum of water and articles entrained therein to move radially outwardly, thence upwardly at the sides of the tub, inwardly toward the center post or stem of the agitator and downwardly, in the creation of a circular stream. The creation of the secondary current as described above is desirable since it tends to turn or rotate the articles being cleaned and causes all portions of the articles to be sub-1 J'ected to the cleaning action of the stronger primary currents. However, the articles tend to wrap about and become entangled with the upper stem portion of the agitator, which is probably due to the weakness of the secondary current in the upper central part of the body of water in the tub.

The principal object of the present invention is to provde an improved agitator of the character described especially designed and congr, structed to prevent the articles being laundered from collecting about and entangling with the' agitator stem or blades. whereby to prevent undue wear of the articles and assure constant suspension and free movement thereof in the tub water.

40 This object is accomplished by the improved shape and disposition of the main agitator vanes and the provision of 'auxiliary or subordinate vanes which are especially` shaped and disposed with vrespect to the main vanes so as to agitato to a denite, although limited extent, the upper. stratum of tub water and articles carried thereby. Other objects and advantages will appear from vthe following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

5o Fig. l is a plan view of my improved agitator; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of -Fig.1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of a portion of a main vane taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. and Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4 1 of Fig. 2.

Referring now by characters of reference' to the drawing, i indicates a circular disc of conical aspect, constituting the base of the agitator, the disc being provided with a depending flange 2 surrounding its outer edge. The disc I slopes in- 5 wardly and upwardly from its periphery towards a central area where it merges into a vertically projecting stem 3 of hollow or tubular construction.

The stem is formed at its upper end with a 10 relatively thick wall portion 4 defining an axial bore or socket 5 of rectangular section, the socketforming portion I being adapted to receive and frictionally embrace the square end of a shaft (not shown), constituting a part of the agitator ll drive mechanism. The agitator is preferably diecast of a light weight metal such as aluminum or an alloy thereof, and in order to prevent undue wear and possible fracture of the stem 3 at its shaft-engaging areas a liner or bushing 6 of 2a bronze or other suitable metal is secured within the socket-forming portion il of the stem.

Formed on stem .3 near its upper end is an annular bead 'l which serves as a marl: for indicating the depth to which the agitator should gg be submerged in order to attain the most satisfactory and eicient results therefrom. The agitator is intended to be mounted in a tub with the ange 2 disposed adjacent. the tub bottom, and the user is instructed to supply the tub with l@ water sufficient to bring the water level even with the indicating mark l. Thus the effective height of lthe agitator is that distance between its lowest extremity and the indicating mark l.

'Ihe agitator is provided with a plurality of 36 blades 8, preferably three in number as shown in Fig. l, such blades projecting radially from the stem I and lying in vertical, symmetrically spaced planes. The blades l create the principal cleansing currents, and the major portion of o their reaction surfaces are adapted to function in the lower half of the body of water inthe tub. Thus, the-outer margins of the vanes i rise vertically from the periphery o1' the base part a. distance not more than one-half of the effective 48 height of the agitator, and then slope inwardly and upwardly toward the stem 3, merging there-A with at its upper end. It will appear that the maximum agltating influence of the blades l is upon the lower stratum of water since their l0y radial extent is maximum and substantially constent at the-lower half of the elective height of the agitator. Progressing upwardly from their vertical mid-sections the blades'are of gradually decreasing radial extent. and accordingly these blades have gradually decreasing influence upon the upper stratum of water in the tub. Y

In addition to the 'principal blades 8, above described, the agitator is provided with auxiliary blades 9 disposed in vertical. radialplanes midway between the planes of the principal blades. The blades 9 are triangular in shape and have their portions of greatest radial extent Vat thev level of the water surface indicating mark 1. The radial extent of the blades 8 at the level of mark l is only a fractional part of the maximum radius of the agitator and preferably should not exceed one-third of the maximum radial extent of the principal blades. As best appears from Fig. 2, the blades) extend downwardly from the plane of the indicating mark 1 to a -point substantially half-way between such mark and the base of the agitator, the lower portions of the blades progressing downwardly with gradually decreasing radial extent. The portions of blades 9 which extend above the water level mark by l preference likewise ktaper inwardly toward the stem.

From the foregoing description it will appear that I provide' an agitatorvhaving two sets of blades, the blades of one set being angularly displaced with respect to the'blades of the other set. 'I'he blades of one set, for convenience K termed the main blades, have their greatest agitating eifect on the lower stratum of water in the tub and their influence on the water in the upper stratumdecreases gradually as such blades approach the water surface and at such level the main blades have practically no agitating e'ect. The auxiliary blades, however, will have their greatest agitating influence (which is relalthereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the device herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit and vfull intended scope` tator, 'a set of main blades extending radially from the stem, the outer margins of said blades rising substantially vertically from the peripheryl ofsaid base portion for a distance not more than lone-half the effective height of the agitator, then height of the agitator, said auxiliary blades being of maximum radial extent at the normal water level and tapering thereabove to the upper extremity of said stem.

2. A washing machine agitator having a disclike base and a stem rising centrally therefrom, a plurality of main blades projecting radially, substantially the full height of the stem, and having their lower extremities merging into the upper surface ofthe base, the upper portions of said blades being of gradually decreasing radial extent, a plurality of auxiliary blades projecting radially from the stem and lying in vertical planes displaced angularly from the planes of the main blades, said auxiliary blades being confined to the upper portion of the agitator, the effective surfaces of the auxiliary blades progressing upwardly from their lower lextremities with gradually increasing radial extent. being maximum at the normal water level of the agitator, said auxiliary blades having portions rising above the normal water leve1, of gradually dimin-y ishing radial extent.

' RUDOLPH W. JANDA. i' 

